Universal-joint disk



Jan. 1, 1924 N. S. NOBLE UNIVERSAL JOINT DISK Filed Feb. 7. 1921 4 fabric but is 50 This strip NEWTON S. NOBLE,OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE B. F. GOODBICH COMP Yonx, n". Y., A conroaerron or N'EW YORK UNIVERSAL-JOINT DISK. v

Application filed February 7, 1921. Serial No. 442,899.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Nnw'rore- S. NOBLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Universal-Joint Disk, of which the following is a specification This invention relates to flexible coupling members or disks for universal joints wherein the disk, disposed transversely, forms a connection between two .opposed coupling.

members at the ends of their respective shafts.

Its object is to provide a construction suitable to be simply and inexpensively formed of fibrous material such as rubberized fabric which will permit great flexibility of the joint and some relative movement of the coupling members in the lines of their axes to while com elling the two to rotate together without p ay, and thus to efiicient and durable joint.

Of the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is an end view of a universal joint provide a flexible,

as with my improved disk in position therein.

Fig. 2 is a side view of thesame.

Fig. 3 is a erspective view of a strip of rubberized fa ric showing the manner of folding it in producing my improved coupso linIg disk.

g. 4 is a face of the same. h Fig. 5 is a similar face view showing a modificat1on.

Referring to the drawings, 10 is my coupling disk in connective position between the spider coupling members 11 of a universal joint, these spiders being secured respectively upon the adjacent ends of the driving and the driven shaft, and the arms of the two spiders, on opposite sides of the disk,

being secured to the latter in alternating positions by the bolts 14.

12 is a single strip of rubberized fabric, which might be ordina square-woven referably w at is known as weak-wefted t read fabric in which the weft threads are widely-spaced and relatively weak, while the warp-threads are strong and closel spaced, to take the. strain.

fold either in the manner illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4., or in the modified manner shown in Fig. 5, to produce an annular, equilateral, po ygonal structure of several superimpose plies of fabric.

The outer edge of every ply offabric is thus a folded edge, and there are no raw edges at the outer periphery of the structure. The inner periphery of the structu're has the form of a polygon similar to the outer periphery, but with its sides opposite to the angles of the latter. The stronger or warp-threads of the fabric preferably lie parallel with the side of the inner polygon in every lap, this bein the direction of stress. Alternate sides 0 the inner polygon,

ab and ad, for example, if extended,'wouldintersect approximately at an apex, e, of the outer polygon, the figure formed by such extensions having the form of a star and v consisting of the inner polygon and a triangular extension from each of its sides. Throughout the area of these triangular extensions, b a e, the warp of the fabric is all approximately parallel with the side of the inner polygon, be, which forms the base of the triangle. Thus the strong threads of the fabric lie, approximately in the line of stress. Between these triangular sections there are other triangular sections, f b e, where there are twice as many plies of fabric as in the first mentioned triangles, the warp of every ply lyin in a line of stress, but alternating as to irection.

While I have shown the disk as a hexagonal figure it obviously might have a greater or less number of sides.

Having folded the fabric in the manner described, I cut'bolt holes,'as shown at 13,

Fig. 1, preferably at about the center of each i of the thicker sections, f b 0. Such sections,

being composed of twice as many plies of fabriobas the intervening sections, affordgood attachment points, while the thinner, intervenin triangular sections, 1) c e, afford great flexi ility, but I do not wholly limit myself to this location of the bolt holes nor to the particular style of bolted clamps here shown. I then vulcanize the disk in a suit-- The disk is mounted between the spider coupling members 11 and secured thereto, l3 means of the bolts 14, which secure it rnately to the spider arms of the cow pling members 11 of the driving and of the driven shaft.

I claim:

1. A coupling disk for a universal joint, said disk comprising a continuous, fiat strip of rubberized fabric folded into the form of an annulus having polygonal inner and outer peripheries and having approximately twice as many thicknesses of the strip in some of its parts as in substantially all of the rest of its parts.

2. A coupling disk for a universal joint, said disk comprising a continuous, flat strip of rubberized fabric folded into the form of a multiple-ply annulus of substantially plane form, said strip lying in a simple succession of lengths folded forwardly about said annulus.

3. A coupling disk for a universal joint comprising a piece of rubberized fabricfolded to the form of a polygon, the lines of fold lying in the outer periphery of the disk, the disk being of substantially plane, polygonal form.

4:. A coupling disk for a universal joint comprising a piece of rubberized fabric folded to the form of a polygon, the lines of fold lying in the outer periphery of the disk, and having relatively thick sections and intervening relatively thin sections.

5. A' universal joint comprising a pair of shaftspiders whose arms alternate, and a coupling disk connecting said arms and comprising a polygonal structure composed of a strip of thread fabric folded along the the resulting structure under pressure.

7. The method of making a coupling disk which comprises forming a strip of rubberized fabric, folding said strip to a flat an- .nular form with equilateral; polygonal inner and outer peripheries, the lines of fold lying "in the outer periphery, cutting bolt holes through the structure thus formed, and vulcanizing it in a mold under pressure.

8. The method of making a coupling disk which comprises folding a strip of unvulcanized rubberized fabric into the form of a multiple-ply annulus, by a forwardly proressing series of single folds, and vulcanizmg the resulting structure under pressure. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 29 day of January, 1921.

NEWTON s. NOBLE.

The method of making a coupling disk- 

